Bristol Central Library - What's in the lower floors?

A nearby school wants to take over the lower two floors of Bristol Central Library. On Doors Open Day, Saturday 14th September 2013, I went on a guided tour and found out more about the importance of those floors to the library service and some of the context of the controversy.

Brilliant show you must see: Submergence, The Eye, Temple Meads until 12 October

Walk around inside a 3D flatscreen. Shoals of lights swim round you. Kaleidoscope patterns form and fragment. And it's free - WIN!

Bristol Doors Open Day Saturday 14th September & the Central Library

Tomorrow is Bristol Doors Open Day. In particular the threatened downstairs floor of the Central Library will be open to the public.

Local media vulnerabilities

The Bristol Post has sacked most of its journalists and many of its 'news' articles are cut-and-pasted press releases. In this instance they don't appear to have read the Avon and Somerset Fire Service newsroom articles they've been publishing.

Is there anything you can't make out of old pallets?

It's easy to find old wooden pallets in Bristol. Even easier if someone gives you a couple of truck loads. Here's what we're doing with them.

Bearpit / PRSC art - the hipsters attempt activism

"How does an activist eat potatoes?" ask the People's Republic of Stokes Croft in a public exhibition in the bearpit. Worth a look if you're wondering through, but generally don't get your hopes up.

Bedroom Tax demo 5pm Tuesday 10 September on College Green

Bristol Council are meeting to discuss a report on bedroom tax evictions.  BADACA have called a demo to show opposition.

It was always crap and never really worked: the Bristol Indymedia story

Mock executions, police raids, terrorists, death threats, trolls (of course) and endless stupidity.  As internet talkboards go Bristol Indymedia's gotta be up there with the best.  Or worst.  Or something.

Braggs Lane photos

Photos of Braggs Lane squat.

Poshing up the squat

Pictures of Ded Posh's Greek god themed graffiti boards on the front of our building on West Street, Old Market.

Athena - goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.  Busy girl.

Poseidon's funky fish

Athena's owl

Poseidon, god of the sea.  Wikipedia says he once tried to beat up Athena and lost.

Zeus, father of gods and men.  He should at least manage keeping an eye on the front door.

When cats attack!

Squat cat flew across the room like a cannonball of whirling claws and teeth and wrapped herself around the dog's face in an instant kill frenzy.  The aged collie retreated as the cat tried to simultaneous gouge out its eyes, bite off its face and disembowel it with powerful rakes of its rear claws.

Pressure on Bristol Indymedia

Everybody despises Bindymedia for a whole range of reasons.  Even the police gave up on them as annoying morons a decade ago.  But still the site limps pathetically on.  I'm not sure for how much longer though.

Stokes Croft Free Shop evicted after fire

Yay - at last!  The sorry saga of the shit-soaked rat-infested rubbish tip the Free Shop had become is finally over.

Bike Thief gets bike stolen!

You'd have thought someone who steals bikes would use a decent lock themselves.

Rough sleepers in Bristol

It's starting to warm up and so far everyone I know has survived the cold weather. Although "Spitting" Robbie was found unconcious in the street and taken to hospital with a core body temperature of 31 degrees.

Congrats to the Free Party crew for last Saturday

I last went to a free party in Feeder Road about 20 years ago. It all seems a lot cleaner and less druggy nowadays.

"Version Control" at the Arnolfini really poor

I went along to the launch of Version Control last Saturday. It's the main exhibition in the Arnolfini until 14 April. Even by the Arnolfini's low standards it's rubbish.

What a difference a Mayor makes!

70% of councils up and down the land are going to make people on the dole pay something towards the Council Tax - something described as the new poll tax.  But not in Bristol where our new Mayor George Ferguson has ruled this out.

Relief as Free Shop heading for eviction

The Free Shop on Stokes Croft received court papers today for a possession hearing on the 14th February.  The place is such a disaster it'll be a relief all round.

An everyday, mundane brutality

Bored medical staff in routine, box-ticking appointments in dull government offices on the outskirts of town are systematically brutalising our society.

Photo of my bender

A couple of days ago Theo Cottle came and took some photos of my bender - here's my favourite:

Ice, Fire and Blood!

As the world froze last night I nearly burned down my bender in a gas explosion!

I've been robbed!

Last Thursday - most likely during the afternoon - someone stole my guitar and wind-up lamp from my bender.

George Ferguson's budget proposals

When I met our new Mayor on Christmas Day in the queue for food at the nightshelter I asked him who's in charge - him or the council?

Elim Church illegally evicts and beats up homeless people

On New Years Eve we squatted a building on Jamaica Street owned by Elim Church.  Last Thursday they illegally - and violently - evicted us.